Beheading, burning, and hanging. (public executions in the US and England during the 18th and 19th centuries for crimes that included stealing, forgery, and treason)(Special Report)

In modern America the death penalty is used rarely and for only the most severe crimes. But in 18th- and 19th-century England and America, the death penalty was used often and for less severe crimes, such as stealing and forgery.

The executions, held in public, were carried out in many different ways. In England, burning at the stake was reserved only for women. Beheading was specifically used for those who had committed treason. Disemboweling -- cutting out the stomach and intestines -- was done to counter-feiters.

Hanging was by far the most common form of…